More than 160 people attended the inaugural NorwalkWorks Job Fair on Friday at the Ben Franklin Center, and by all accounts, the event was a success.

"A lot of people around the area are looking for work, and many who came today said they couldn't get to other job fairs," said Carrie Tate, career developer for NorwalkWorks, a division of Norwalk Economic Opportunity Now, Inc. "We hope this is the first of many job fairs here. We tried to get a staffing agency for warehouse work, one for health-care aides, and one for office and clerical jobs. We learned for the future that we need an even better mix to include agencies for trained professionals and people with corporate experience."

For Bridgeport resident Jamilia Maebry, the job fair was a chance to see what's available as she redirects her career.

"I do photography on the side, and now I'm looking for a full-time career," Maebry said. "I'm going to lean towards the law eventually. I feel I have good people skills, and friends have told me I'd be a good litigator. I want something consistent for five years as I go to school."

Maebry was happy to be able to get her name and resume out to a variety of employers.

"I'm very good with customer service, clerical, and I have all the computer skills," Maebry said. "I was the No. 1 sales rep in the state for AT&T, but it's hard to get into a commission sales job. I know I can do that. Now, I'm attacking every one of these employers. I'm glad and appreciative that (NorwalkWorks) put this together. I believe it will be beneficial to helping some people get back to work."

Erinese Geffrard gave up her job as a home health-care aide when she moved from Florida to Norwalk almost eight months ago. Geffrard wants to put her certifications as a nurse and home health aide to good use.

"This is exciting," Geffrard said. "I feel like I could get an assignment today and go to work. I've worked in this field for 14 years. I put a lot of time into getting my certifications, and I'd like to make them pay off."

Shane Smith of Bridgeport was looking for work after a job with UPS didn't work out. Smith has been working with Moneek Petion, the computer instructor for NorwalkWorks, for about two weeks.

"I wish everybody would get a job," Smith said. "This (job fair) makes me feel good. And if it wasn't for Moneek, I'd be home sleeping. I'm excited about a new career direction. I'd be all right with any of these jobs."

For the most part, employers at Friday's event were pleased with what they saw in terms of potential employees. Several staffing agencies, along with Avon beauty care, the DoubleTree Hotel, The Junkluggers and Bertucci's restaurants were looking to fill positions.

"There were a lot of people here today," said Asher Fink, director of operations for The Junkluggers. "It was a good turnout. We're looking for guys to lug junk in our vehicles. There were definitely a lot of people looking to work right away. I feel good about the day. I have a lot of work to do going through resumes and checking references."

Tate said she and her organization learned some important lessons with its first job fair.

"We got a lot of suggestions from employers," Tate said. "Next time, we have to make sure that people looking for jobs dress professionally. Sometimes, that little detail gets overlooked. We also want prospective employees to bring lots of resumes. It's hard for companies to remember someone without having a resume for the employer."

Tate was pleased with the five-hour event.

"Employers met a lot of promising candidates," Tate said. "We like that it's a bit smaller than other fairs, so it's more personal. And exposure to this kind of environment is important."